Flag Burning - opinion

I heard of some Americans burning our flag today on the news, and didn't think anything of it for a few seconds, but quickly related to their
frustration at our countrys policies and its manifestation of that frustration through the demonstrations.

I quickly oscilated to being kind of pissed, because beyond all of our countries issues right now, we're still alot more free than most people in the
world, with a lot more opportunity. Yes we can do more in the way of philanthropy throughout the staving and desperate regions of the world, but
beyond all of the whining and moaning about our shortcomings, we still have a lot going for us and our enrichment, relatively speaking. If we don't
realize that, then we're missing the point.

I suppose my point is this: Burning our flag is the best way of spiting ourselves, and I think it is pretty impolite of Americans to demonstrate this
way in the face of the poor and sick and starving and oppressed of the world.

A lot of us our frusterated with a lot of issues, but let us not lose sight of what we do have.

I totally agree. We should hold dear and honor our rights to a degree of royalty. But we should use discretion, and not arbitrarily utilize or
"abuse" our freedoms.

Burning a flag is a strong way of expressing yourself. Is there a better way, a more effective way? A more mature way?

Of course. We should use our good judgement to avoid this, in the intrest of not spiting our freedoms - its like burning the constitution in
protest! The exact article or declaration that grants us the freedom we are exhibiting to protest = an oxymoron, defeating the purpose in my
opinion.

Lets keep some things dear to our hearts, lets not go there is all I am saying.

Although I personally can not conceive of virtually any situation under which I would see fit to destroy the flag, I'm not prepared to come down very
hard on it either.

I believe that it, like many things that we are free to do, is in poor taste, is of little or no material benefit, and in some cases plainly displays
an unenlightened view of our country.

Nevertheless, I do not believe that it is in the best interests of our democracy to forbid it. A certain amount of hostility towards the government is
healthy. People should retain a sense that they have rights over the government and not the other way around.

Beyond that, the flag, ultimately, is a symbol. We use it essentially as a ritual practice to reaffirm and reinforce in ourselves a recognition of
what we have and a thankfulness for how it came into being and how it survived.
The burning of the flag is equally symbollic. Destroying the flag does not unmake the union any more than it's display creates it. The flag in
whatever state of use is a symptom, not a cause. The burning of the flag indicates a belief that the things represented by the flag are being
destroyed, or have ceased to be represented by the flag, and to the extent that this side of the flag's symbolism is a practice of jealous
guardianship over the things the flag represents against corrupting forces, I would have to consider it a symptom of an American spirit equal to the
challenges before our society.

I realize that such idealistic circumstances are not always present in the burning of a flag. Sometimes it is just a childish display of an
unwillingness to make concensus. Sometimes it's a persons way of saying "I only like Democracy when I win, and when I lose I despise everything that
past generations have given me". That obviously is not in line with American Democracy.

But who is to judge what a person's true moral convictions are for the purposes of law? If the choice before us is that we must either suffer fools
or be restricted in what can perhaps at times be a philosophical exercise, my vote must be that we suffer the sight of the fools among us, and equally
sustain the right of others to call those fools as they see them. Sunshine is, afterall, the best disinfectant, and the fools will not disappear
simply because they can't practice a certain act. At least at present we can spot them coming by the smoke, so that we can prepare either take our
leave of them or attempt to enlighten them.

Beyond that, the flag, ultimately, is a symbol. We use it essentially as a ritual practice to reaffirm and reinforce in ourselves a
recognition of what we have and a thankfulness for how it came into being and how it survived.
The burning of the flag is equally symbollic.

I agree. The Supreme Court originally ruled that flag burning is considered symbolic speech, which is protected under the first amendment. As you
stated, this is why I am against any amendment to prohibit flag burning. Even though I don't even let the flag touch the ground, who am I to restrict
another person's freedom of speech?

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